BILLERICA -- When Middlesex County Sheriff Peter Koutoujian became sheriff three years ago, he knew something needed to be done about severe overcrowding at the Cambridge jail.

Following a court order on Friday, Koutoujian no longer has to worry about crammed corners because Billerica has "excess capacity" for inmates.

A state judge increased the cap on the number of inmates to be housed at Middlesex House of Correction in Billerica, following a lawsuit over conditions in Cambridge. Associate Justice Bruce Henry raised the cap on inmates in Billerica from 835 to 1,010. The ruling also caps the number of inmates in the Cambridge jail at 230.

In his ruling, Henry stated the Billerica jail has "excess capacity," even after prisoners were transferred from Cambridge after a water pump broke last month. The judge added that the transfer of detainees to the Billerica facility will not seriously impact the inmates' access to programs and services.

"It's not going to get overcrowded there (in Billerica). There is plenty of capacity left," Koutoujian said Tuesday. "Number one for me is always public safety for the community, and we will have a very safe facility in Billerica, as it always has been."

There are now 877 individuals housed in Billerica, "not really close to the cap," Koutoujian said.

Since the water-pump break in May, 129 pretrial detainees have been housed in Billerica, an overall population increase of 114 individuals since May.

But Billerica selectmen Chairman David Gagliardi said he strongly opposes violent offenders in town.

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Some of the pretrial detainees are "alleged" violent offenders and haven't been convicted of anything, he added.

"It's not something we want here," Gagliardi said. "It's just another example of state mandates that they shove down our throats. The board is vehemently opposed to them coming here."

The Middlesex Sheriff's Office couldn't confirm how many of the pretrial detainees are accused of violent crimes.

Koutoujian said there are always violent offenders in any incarceration facility, but said the Middlesex Sheriff's Office runs one of the most professional, safest and most secure systems in the state and country. There's no doubt that the public will be completely safe, he emphasized.

Like Gagliardi, Town Manager John Curran said he's not happy about the court ruling. But he's not surprised by the ruling because "there's been no real consideration for the community throughout the process, only caring about eliminating overcrowding in Cambridge," Curran said.

He also said it's important for Billerica to mitigate any impacts of the jail, and he'd like to get it resolved sooner than later.

Koutoujian said he's not in charge of mitigation, but is very supportive of Billerica and will help in the process.

"My relationship with the town is an important one," he said. "I've really grown to enjoy Billerica and have developed very good relationships here. It's a very good host community."

State Rep. Marc Lombardo, R-Billerica, said he does not want additional inmates in town, but if they have to come, then the state administration needs to work with Billerica on mitigation efforts. The governor's office, along with the administration and finance office, "owe it to the residents to provide appropriate and generous mitigation," Lombardo said.

"There will be costs on water and sewer, strain on our public safety, and it's an overall quality of life issue for the town," he said. "I'm committed to assist in any way that I can."

This court order follows the Cambridge overcrowding lawsuit, in which Koutoujian's office was sued by Prisoners' Legal Services and the American Civil Liberties Union.

The Cambridge jail was built to house 160 inmates, and it reached 440 before Koutoujian became sheriff, he said. The capacity has been around 400 since he took over, which "was not ideal," he said.

"At times, it's been about 300 percent overcrowded, and it presented a real safety risk for inmates and the correction officers," Koutoujian said. "But this ruling gives me the flexibility to manage the population safely and securely."

Moving forward is the $37 million expansion plan in Billerica to build a two-story, prefabricated concrete pod with 256 beds and a one-story dormitory with 240 beds.

The additional 496 beds are temporary, according to Koutoujian. He stressed that the presence of pretrial detainees in Billerica will be temporary until officials find a suitable 5-acre site to build the Southern Middlesex Justice Center. The expansion has a projected completion date of April 30, 2014.

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